ARS Insights · Bengaluru Research Guide
Surveying Bengaluru: one city, many languages
Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Urdu all matter here. A single-language questionnaire misses real parts of the market.
~8.4 million
in the city (Census 2011)6+
languages in everyday useGrowing fast
outer areas have expanded since 2011What changes your design
- Language mix: Kannada leads, but large Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Urdu-speaking communities live in different parts of the city. Match interviewer language to neighbourhood.
- Migration: many residents are recent arrivals. Decide whether length of residence is a screening criterion.
- Outer growth: Census 2011 is a baseline. The city has grown further since, so check the latest layouts and growth corridors with your field partner.
- Professionals and shift work: many working adults are hard to reach at home on weekdays. Plan weekend and evening interviewing, or use telephone methods.
Screener pointers
- Locality and PIN code.
- Mother tongue and interview language.
- Years lived in Bengaluru.
- Occupation, age, gender and household class quotas.
Planning a Bengaluru study?
ARS covers Bengaluru and South India with local-language field teams.
Frequently asked questions
Which languages should a Bengaluru survey use?
Kannada and English as a base, with Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam or Urdu added by target group.
Is Census 2011 still usable for Bengaluru?
As a baseline, yes, but the city has grown, so adjust with current local knowledge.
Does ARS work in Bengaluru?
Yes. Bengaluru is among the cities ARS covers, alongside Hyderabad, Kochi and Chennai.
Related guides
- Market research in Hyderabad
- Chennai Census data and sample design
- How to choose a market research company
Sources: Census of India · MoSPI · ESOMAR. Figures are rounded Census 2011 values.